#771Monday, April 13, 2026
Strands answers for April 13, 2026 — “While not in use” (#771)
Spoilers below — this page is the full record for this puzzle
The NYT Strands spangram for April 13, 2026 (puzzle #771) is STORAGESHED, a 11-letter answer to the theme "While not in use". The 6 theme words are BICYCLE, GRILL, HOSE, MOWER, TOOLS and WHEELBARROW.
Where is each answer on the April 13 Strands board?
The 6 theme words for Strands on April 13, 2026 are listed below, followed by the spangram.
The table gives the start square, end square and travel direction of all 7 answers. Every position comes from solving the grid outright — the answers have to tile all 48 letters with no overlap and no remainder, which is what makes a single arrangement provable.
| Answer | Letters | Starts | Ends | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BICYCLE | 7 | row 7, column 6 | row 8, column 3 | right to left |
| GRILL | 5 | row 8, column 1 | row 5, column 3 | diagonally across the grid |
| HOSE | 4 | row 4, column 3 | row 2, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| MOWER | 5 | row 7, column 2 | row 5, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| TOOLS | 5 | row 2, column 1 | row 4, column 2 | diagonally across the grid |
| WHEELBARROW | 11 | row 1, column 4 | row 5, column 5 | top to bottom |
| STORAGESHED | 11 | row 1, column 1 | row 6, column 6 | diagonally across the grid |
What did the April 13 Strands grid look like?
The Strands board for April 13, 2026 is a six-column, eight-row grid of 48 letters.
Spangram — 11 letters6 theme words
Each line traces one answer through the letters it uses; the heavier yellow line is the spangram.
Read across the grid, row 1 reads S-T-O-W-H-E, row 2 reads T-E-R-A-E-L, row 3 reads O-S-O-G-A-B, row 4 reads O-S-H-E-R-R, row 5 reads L-R-L-S-W-O, row 6 reads E-O-L-H-E-D, row 7 reads W-M-I-C-Y-B, and row 8 reads G-R-E-L-C-I.
How hard was the April 13 Strands puzzle?
On the same measure applied to every puzzle since 2024, Strands #771 comes out above average, ahead of 59% of them.
Easiest puzzle ever published on the left, hardest on the right. The formula behind the score, and the ranked list of every puzzle, are on the Strands difficulty index.
Who made the April 13 Strands puzzle?
Strands puzzle #771 was edited by Tracy Bennett and constructed by Christina Iverson. Output across the whole run is broken down on who makes NYT Strands.
Common questions about the April 13 Strands puzzle
What was the clue for Strands on April 13, 2026?
The Strands clue for April 13, 2026 is “While not in use”, on puzzle #771. It is answered by the spangram STORAGESHED, and all 6 theme words that day belong to that idea.
What were the Strands words on April 13, 2026?
The 6 Strands theme words for April 13, 2026 are BICYCLE, GRILL, HOSE, MOWER, TOOLS and WHEELBARROW, plus the spangram STORAGESHED.
What was the big word in the April 13, 2026 Strands?
The big word — the spangram — for April 13, 2026 is STORAGESHED, 11 letters long, running from row 1, column 1 to row 6, column 6. It is the one word that touches two opposite sides of the board and states the theme outright.
What did the Strands theme “While not in use” mean?
The Strands theme “While not in use” for April 13, 2026 means STORAGESHED — that is what the spangram spells, and every one of the 6 theme words is an example of it.
How many theme words are in Strands April 13, 2026?
Strands puzzle #771 has 6 theme words plus one spangram, and together they use all 48 letters on the board exactly once.
How difficult was the April 13, 2026 Strands puzzle?
Strands #771 rates above average on a computed index, harder than 59% of every Strands puzzle published since March 2024.
What number was the Strands puzzle on April 13, 2026?
The Strands puzzle published on Monday, April 13, 2026 is #771, counting from the game's launch on March 4, 2024.
Today’s puzzle and its hint ladder are on the front page. This puzzle sits in April 2026, part of the full Strands archive.